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Arab American National Museum Recalls Groundbreaking Journalist Helen Thomas
In life, she fearlessly sought to elicit truth from America’s elected leaders, the ultimate personification of “the watchdog of democracy.” She blazed a clear trail for untold numbers of journalists – women – who observed the longtime Dean of The White House Press Corps and never doubted their own ability to succeed in a media career. She was a key chronicler of United States and world history of the 20th century and made history herself.
The board and leadership of the Arab American National Museum (AANM) join all Americans in mourning the loss of Helen Thomas, who died at home in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, July 20, 2013, following a long illness. Thomas, a prominent American of Lebanese descent and a charter member of the Museum’s National Advisory Board, would have turned 93 years old on her birthday, August 4.
“Helen’s life is a remarkable American success story, a rich fulfillment of the American Dream,” says Devon Akmon, AANM director. “Her immigrant parents took the risk, sought the opportunities for themselves and their children, and raised Helen to be the independent, tireless achiever she was – a woman who did not allow her gender, ethnic heritage and later, her age, to limit her goals in any way.”
“It’s true Helen was opinionated, and sometimes feared and reviled as she pursued accountability from 10 presidential administrations. She observed and reported history, but she also made history herself, by breaking barriers and embracing her role as a journalist to the utmost,” says Akmon. “That is why it is the AANM’s honor to preserve and celebrate her accomplishments and legacy, and ensure that her contributions to our nation are never forgotten.”
Helen Thomas joined the AANM’s National Advisory Board while the new, one-of-a-kind institution, created by human-services organization ACCESS, was still on the drawing board. Since its opening on May 5, 2005, the AANM has proudly presented Thomas’ many achievements in its Making An Impact exhibit with a permanent display centered on a modest, well-used pale blue portable manual typewriter and vintage media credentials from her personal collection.
In 2010, the Museum ran a successful Kickstarter online funding campaign to complete a bust of Thomas created by sculptor and former White House photojournalist Susan Tinsley McElhinney. The donations continued to flow from individuals across the U.S., even after the $10,000 goal had been met, with one week to spare, in the 45-day campaign.
The finished bust was initially unveiled October 4, 2010, as part of the Arab American Book Award ceremony at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., when Thomas appeared to accept the AANM’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Veteran TV journalist Sam Donaldson paid tribute to the irrepressible Thomas while introducing her; she then received an extended standing ovation.
Then, Thomas and her family members visited the AANM in Dearborn, Michigan, for a special reception December 2, 2010, to mark the bust’s permanent installation, just a few feet from Thomas’ typewriter in the AANM’s Making An Impact display.
Funeral arrangements for Helen Thomas are pending; her family parish is St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 2160 East Maple Road, Troy, Michigan, 48083. Burial is expected to be in the Detroit area. A tribute will take place in Washington, D.C. this fall.